Reading Skills Unit 3

Elements of Narrative Structure

Books, I found, had the power to make time stand still, retreat or fly into the future. ~ Jim Bishop ~

6.4a – Identify the elements of narrative structure including setting, character, plot, conflict, and theme

Name: ______Setting 6.4a o Setting: Setting is the time and place of a story. Knowing when and where a story takes place will help you understand it better. o Setting can be specific (Sterling, Virginia; 1996). It can also be vague (sometime in the future; outer space). o Setting allows the author to create the mood of the story. o Mood is how the author makes you feel while reading the book.

 I laughed throughout the entire book! The mood would be ______.  There were so many parts in the book that made me jump; I couldn’t read it at night anymore! The mood would be ______. o Match the Story Idea to the Possible Setting:

Story Idea __Setting A creepy ghost story ~ A busy pet grooming shop

A story about the American Revolution ~ July 4, 1776

A story about aliens ~ An abandoned house in the woods at night

A funny story about a dog ~ A spaceship going around Jupiter

The life story of a 100 year old woman ~ The time period from 1889 to 1989 Characters 6.4a o Characters: A character in a fiction passage can be a person, an animal, or a thing with human-like qualities. In stories like the “Three Little Pigs,” the characters are pigs that act like humans. o Main Character: the most important OR character in the story, poem, or play o Minor Character: may take part in the actions, but is not the

OR center of attention o Static Character: has one or two traits that never change throughout the story o Dynamic Character: changes personalities in the story because of things that happen

Try this out…

~ Imagine a book or movie about a character you like. Think about the character and answer the questions below.

Character:

______Book/Movie______

Is your character a protagonist or antagonist? ______

Is your character a main or minor character? ______Is your character dynamic or static? ______

Why do you think so? ______Plot and Conflict 6.4a

 Plot is the sequence of events that happens in a story. The plot usually happens as a result from actions taken by a character in the story. o The character causes things to happen, and those happenings have an effect on other characters and the world around them.

 Conflict – Conflict is any obstacle that keeps the character from getting to their goal. o Conflicts can be internal or external . Internal Conflict: Character against self . External Conflict: Character against another individual or nature

Internal Conflict External Conflict An honest girl lies to protect her A boxer fights against someone for friend. the championship. A climber goes up the mountain even A farmer survives a flood that though he is scared of heights. destroys his farm. A woman must decide which house to A police officer chases after a bank buy. robber.

Basic plot structure is shown here:

Initiating Event Theme 6.4a

o Theme is the main idea or point of the story. It is also the overall message.

o What is the difference between plot and theme? o Plot answers the question: . What happened in the story? o Theme answers the question(s): . What is the story about? Or what does this story teach me?

o The theme is usually not obvious and the author leaves it to the reader to figure out o One theme of a story may be “growing up” o Another theme of a story may be “loneliness”

o Stories can have more than one theme. o Main Theme: . When a story has more than one theme, there is usually one message that is the most important. This is called the main theme.

Let’s try it out. We’re going to read The Giving Tree and list themes from the story.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Circle the main theme from the ones listed above.

Story Map

Title:

Main Character:

Other Characters:

Conflict:

Setting: (Time & Place)

Rising action: Event 1:

Event 2:

Event 3: Climax:

Resolution:

Narrative Elements Vocabulary 6.4a  Plot – the sequence of events in a literary work.

 Exposition – the part of the work that introduces the characters, setting, and basic situation (part of the plot structure).

 Character – a person, animal, or creature who takes part in the action of a literary work. Main characters are the most important in the story, poem or play. Minor characters may take part in the actions, but are not the center of attention. Static stays the same. Dynamic changes.

 Antagonist – the character who opposes (goes against) the main character.

 Protagonist – the main character of most important character in a story. This character often changes in some important way as a result of the story’s events.

 Setting – the time and place of the action. It could be specific (Sterling, VA in the year 1872) or vague (present time in the south).

 Initiating event – introduces the central conflict (part of the plot structure).

 Conflict – a struggle between opposing forces. Characters in conflict for the basis of the story, novel, poem, or play. There are two kinds of conflict: internal (character against self) and external (character against another individual or nature). A story may have both.

 Rising action – all of the events that lead up to the climax that build suspense (part of the plot structure).

 Climax – the highest point of interest or suspense (part of the plot structure).

 Falling action – actions that tie up loose ends and leads to the resolution (end) of the central conflict (part of the plot structure).  Resolution – the final events that end a work of fiction (part of the plot structure).

 Theme- the main idea or point of the story. It is also the overall message. Stories can have more than one theme.

 Mood: is how the author makes you feel while reading the book.